Henry w



(No Model.)

H. W. ROSENBAUM & E. 'NEUBERT.

REGISTERING STAMP.

Patented'Aug. 16, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WV. ROSENBAUM AND ERNST NEUBERT, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SAID ROSENBAUM.

REGlSTERlNG-STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,965, dated August 16, 1892.

Application filed September '7, 1891. Serial No. 404,987. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that We, HENRY \V. ROSEN- BAUM and ERNST NEUBERT, of the city and State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Registering-Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is intended for applying stamps having certain money values and for preventing the stamp being applied without registering the number of the stamps successively and for locking the mechanism, so that the apparatus cannot be made use of after the given number of stamps have been made.

This apparatus is adapted to various purposes-such, for instance, as the impressing of a revenue-stamp of a designated value and recording the number of stamps, and the same improvement might be applied to the stamping of letters or newspapers in place of affixing the separate gummed stamp as now usual, thus avoiding the inconvenience of such separate stamps, and in providing this device it is intended that the apparatus shall be furnished to the party desiring to use the same, payment being made in an amount equivalent to the total value of the stamps, and the apparatus can be used from time to time until the computing device has registered the total value of the stamps paid for, and thereby the apparatus has arrived at the limit of its capacity and its further use is absolutely prevented automatically, so that such apparatus has to be returned to the properly authorized party to open the seal or other reliable securing device and set the apparatus back again to the point of beginning. In this manner newspaper publishers and other persons sending mail-matter can procure from the Government on the payment of the proper price an apparatus such as invented by us, and it can be used in the stamping of letters or newspapers or mail-matter until the amount of the cash advanced is exhausted, at which time the apparatus is automatically locked in such a manner that it cannot be again used.

In carrying out this invention any suitable stamp is provided and an inking apparatus adapted to the same, and there is a sliding tubular guard surrounding the stamp in such a manner as to prevent the stamp being used without a movement being given to the tubular guard, and there is a counting mechanism provided within a case and receiving its motion from the tubular guard, so as to accurately register the number of impressions given by the stamp, and when the maximum numberof such impressions has been reached the tubular guard is locked, so that the stamp cannot be impressed until the apparatus has been properly opened and the parts restored to the point of beginning.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus with the front plate removed and the case partially in section. Fig. 2 is a plan View with the casein section at the line X X. Fig. 3 is a detached partial sectional view representing the locking device in position for holding the tubular guard, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section at the line Y Y, Fig. 1.

The stamp A is of any desired character. Usually it will contain aname and a figure to represent the value, and this stamp is permanently connected to or forms part of the box or holder for the mechanism. lVe have represented the stamp A as upon the bottom B of the box, said box having sides 0, a top D, and a movable front plate E, and in the construction represented the stamp and the box containing the mechanism are moved, so that the stamp may be impressed upon a letter or other article and against the pad F. This pad is represented upon the bed G, which also carries a suitable inking-pad H, which is in the tubular holder corresponding in size, or nearly so, to the stamp, and there may be an ink-well H adjacent to the pad into which ink-well suitable ink may be placed and the cover I applied above the well, and it is usually advantageous to make the inking-pad of felt and to employ a limpid ink that will be drawn up into such pad by the capillary action. The toggle-links K L M are each pivoted at one end to the box, and the link K is connected at its lower end by a pivot-screw at to a projection 5 upon the bed G. The link L is connected by a pivot-screw G to an arm 7, extending out from the side frame G, and the link M is upon a short shaft 8, that passes through the side frame G, and is provided with a gear-wheel or sector N or equivalent device for giving motion to the shaft 8 and link M, and it will be apparent that these links K L M being parallel when a motion is given to the link M the box and stamp are lifted and the stamp is transferred in its position from the inking-pad H to the impression pad or bed F, upon which the letter or other article to be stamped is placed.

lVe have represented and prefer to use a lever O with a segmental gear P, gearing to the wheel N, so that by moving the lever O the segmental gear P acts upon the gear N and gives motion to the parts, and the necessary pressure can be applied to the stamp when the lever O is in the position indicated by dotted lines and entirely out of the way of the article to be stamped, and the parts are restored to their normal positions by a spring Q, preferably applied to the shorter end of the lever O and extending from the same to a stud or screw at the side of the bed G.

The tubular guard R surrounds the stamp A and it is within a recess corresponding in shape. Usually the guard will be cylindrical and the recess for the same also cylindrical, and there are connected to or formed with the tubular guard pushers f) and 10, which pass through mortises in the bottom 13, and there are springs S, which tend to force the tubular guard downwardly, and the downward movement is limited by the heads or cross-pins of the pushers 9 and 10, which are above the bottom B, and it is advantageous to make use of two springs S, as represented, so that the force exerted to project the tubular guard downwardly will be uniform.

W e make use of two or more dials that are adapted to register the number of impressions made by the stamp. We have shown three dials T U V, the dial T being adapted to register units, the dial U tens, and the dial V hundreds. These dials may be made in any desired manner, so that after the dial T has made a complete revolution it will give movement to the extent of one number to the next dial U, and the dial U when it has made a complete rotation will move the dial V one number. A convenient construction for these dials is to mount each one upon a shaft and to provide a ratchet-wheel with ten teeth and a projection adjacent to one of the ratchetwheels and adapted to act against the next ratchet-wheel to turn it one tooth, and this projection comes into action once for each rotation of its dial.

We have represented the ratchet-wheels at 11 and the projections at 12, and there should be a spring-pawl 13 to each ratchet-wheel for holding the same in position as the dial is turned.

The rocker or lever NV is provided with a pawl 1st to act upon the ratehet-teeth of the dial T and the other end of this rocker NV is above the projection 9, so that every time the stamp is impressed and the tubular guard R rests upon the paper or other article stamped, while the stamp is brought down by the me chanical pressure, the projection 9 and tubular guard give motion to the rocker XV and pawl l-l', turning the dial T a unit, and it is impossible to impress the stamp A without giving this movement to the units-dial, because the springs S project the guard as soon as the pressure of the stamp is released, and the guard extending down below the face of the stamp prevents any false impression being taken. It will be understood that these operations are continued, and if so desired the dials may be inspected from time to time and the party using the stamp pay for the same according to the number of impressions that may have been made; but for ordinary uses it is advantageous to lock the apparatus, so that it is no longer useful until it has been opened and restored to the normal position. With this object in view we provide a dog Y, with one end 15 acting as a bolt above the pusher 10, and the other end of the dog is adjacent to the teeth on the ratchet-wheel of the dial V, and the springs 16 give motion to this dog and it acts as a pawl to prevent the dial V being turned back, and in the ratchet-wheel of the dial V one notch between the teeth is of an additional depth, so that when this notch presents itself to the dog the springs 16 project the bolt portion 15 of the dog over the upper end of the pusher 10, so that the tubular guard cannot be moved in its relation to the stamp until the apparatus has been opened and the parts restored to their normal position. This deep notch is in such position to the dial that the dog will come into action when the 9 is visible.

It is advantageous to fasten the front plate E of the inclosing box to the rest of the box by suitable screws and pins, and an official seal may be applied to this box over the connecting-screws or one of them, so that the box cannot be opened to restore the parts to their normal positions without detection, and it will be observed that the part-s can be restored to the place of beginning by giving to the dials a turning movement to throw back the dog Y from the deep notch to the first notch, at which time the 0 will be visible through the opening in the front plate E.

We have described an apparatus in which motion is given to the stamp itself; but it will be apparent that the stamp and the parts connected with it may remain in a permanent position and the impression-pad and inking-pad may be applied in succession, the inking-pad passing into the tubular guard, and such tubular guard receiving its motion by contact with the letter or other article that is stamped. The tubular guard insures a full movement of the parts before an impression can be made, and this device is not necessarily limited to use with a computing device.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the stamp, of a yielding guard, means for projecting the guard beyond the face of the stamp, a registering apparatus, and mechanism for giving motion to the registering apparatus by the movement of the guard, substantially as set forth.

2. Abox and a stamp permanently connected thereto, a tubular guard surrounding the stamp and having pushers passing into the box, springs for projecting the tubular guard, registering mechanism Within the box, and a rocker or pawl for giving motion to the registering mechanism, such rocker being moved by the action of the tubular guard when the stamp is impressed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the stamp and the box with which it is connected, of a registering mechanism within the box, a yielding guard and means for projecting the same beyond the face of the stamp and a connection from the guard to the registering mechanism, and a locking mechanism brought into action by the registering mechanism for holding the guard in a projected condition, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the stamp and the box to which the stamp is connected and the registering mechanism within the box, of a tubular guard surrounding the stamp and a connection therefrom to the registering mechanism for giving motion to the same when an impression is made, a bed and projections therewith connected, an inking-pad and an impression-pad, toggle-links pivoted at their ends, respectively, to the box and to the projections of the bed, a lever for giving motion to the toggle-links, and a spring for returning the parts to their normal positions, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the stamp, of a guard and means for projecting the guard beyond the face of the stamp, a registering apparatus and mechanism for giving motion to the registering apparatus by the movement of the guard, and a locking device brought into action by the registering mechanism for holding the guard, substantially as specified.

(3. The combination, with the stamp, of a box with which the stamp is connected, a registering mechanism within the box and mechanism for moving the register each impression of the stamp, and a lock brought into action by the register for holding the parts that are moved by the impression of the stamp so as to prevent the use of the stamp after a designated numberof impressions,substantially as specified.

Signed by us this 3d day of September, A. D. 1891.

HENRY W. ROSENBAUM. ERNST NEUBERT. Vitnesses:

HAROLD SERRELL, LEMUEL W. SERRELL. 

